Spencer-East Brookfield voters reject override

Voters in Spencer and East Brookfield overwhelmingly turned down an override request that would have funded the Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District budget for fiscal 2014.

Both communities approved the measure at their town meetings, but in the privacy of the ballot box, things were much different, with each town seeing a margin of about two to one or more in opposition.

"I would say that was overwhelming," Spencer Chairman of Selectmen Gary Woodbury said.

The school committee had requested a $2,086,697 override in order to fully fund a $24.7 million fiscal 2014 budget. East Brookfield taxpayers would have been responsible for $405,585 of that amount, with Spencer residents paying $1,681,094.

Now, the school committee has 30 days to set up a district meeting that will allow voters from both towns to vote together on a budget.

That news has local officials concerned because a budget approved at that meeting will not be contingent on an override. That could mean deep cuts for municipal government or the possibility that an override would be needed to maintain services such as police, public works, fire departments and Town Hall operations.

"The voters have spoken four times, twice in each town, and said that the assessments are too much for the taxpayers to handle," Spencer Town Administrator Adam D. Gaudette said after the vote Tuesday night. "I'm hoping the school committee will revisit the assessments, and they may have to make some hard decisions."

In Spencer, passage of the override would have caused the owner of a home valued at $200,000 to pay an additional $340 per year. In East Brookfield, the owner of a $250,000 home would have been assessed about $450 more annually.

Mr. Gaudette said the school committee must schedule a regional meeting for voters in both towns to attend and must propose a budget number for that meeting warrant. Selectmen in the two towns will collaborate to pick a moderator.

If the proposal is not approved at that meeting and the school department budget remains an unresolved issue by Dec. 1, the state will take over the district, Mr. Gaudette explained.

"If that happens, I would hope the state would look closely at these votes and at the towns' budgets," he said. "Because we are very concerned at the town level that we are going to be put in a position where we are forced to shut down major services."

The next school committee meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Wire Village School auditorium.

Contact Kim Ring at kring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring